


Cold, Dead Light

by Loupmont



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:41:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21683917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loupmont/pseuds/Loupmont
Summary: Thancred, having an irreparable kidney injury, is taken to Foundation to be treated. He meets his cot neighbour, Sidurgu, and strikes up a relationship.
Relationships: Sidurgu Orl/Thancred Waters
Kudos: 3





	Cold, Dead Light

“That’s the third time I’ve heard that girl crying. Can I please be moved? I can barely catch a wink of sleep!” Thancred whined, turning his head to the cleric that prepared the blood-filtering spell.

“For the last time, Thancred, no. There are no more cots available currently. Please understand that the patient the girl is visiting is very sick, so of course she’ll cry.” The cleric slipped the brace over Thancred’s arm, lowering the needle until it punctured a vein, making him wince. The needle drew blood into a chamber, which filtered the blood through a field of healing aether before returning it to the body. This procedure had to be repeated every few hours, or the Midlander would suffer the effects of built up toxins in his blood. Thancred cursed the man who ruptured his kidneys with a Scathe spell, completely shutting them down. Without a transplant, the external blood filters were the only thing keeping Thancred from death.

“Papa Sid! I brought you some flowers!”

The voice irritated Thancred. So high pitched, sing-songy, but he kept his annoyance in check long enough to hear an exchange between the young girl and the man.

“They’re lovely, Rielle. Put them next to your drawing, so I can look at both of those things every morning.”

Thancred couldn’t help but feel bad. He lost his parents at a very young age, forcing him to live on the streets of Limsa Lominsa, living off what he stole. This girl could very well lose her father and end up on the street if she did; given that this was Foundation, known for its bitter cold, it was very likely that she wouldn’t survive her first night.

Thancred carefully pulled the partitioning curtain aside, catching his first glimpse of the man next to him. A Xaela Au Ra with messy, spiky white hair. He couldn’t tell the eye colour, or if there were any luminescence to the Au Ra’s limbal rings as his eyes were firmly closed. Any muscle that might have been on the man had since atrophied, leaving a pale husk that tremored with every movement. A moment later, the Au Ra opened his eyes, revealing them to be teal with bright cyan limbal rings. Although Thancred couldn’t see it from his cot, the Xaela’s eyes were unfocused, dulled.

“I wish you could actually see them.” The now disappointed voice, Thancred discerned, belonged to a short, mint haired Elezen girl. His urge to speak to them both, to offer some comforting words, rose dramatically. He wondered what was wrong with the Xaela, whose name seemed to be Sid, that he would lose his vision and the muscle mass that was so clearly there.

“Maybe I will someday, Rielle. Come here, come give me a hug.”

Rielle squeezed Sid in a hug, sobbing. “Papa Sidurgu…you know what the clerics said. You…”

“Yes”, Sidurgu huffed, “That I won’t see my next nameday. It’s all a bunch of shite. You’ve seen me fight through myriad of threats. I’ve been spared execution by my master. I’m not leaving you behind!”

“I wish you could keep that promise…” Rielle trailed off, her tears choking her.

“I will. You know I will. Not only will I survive until my next nameday, I will live until I’m at least a hundred, maybe more. Your spark, your love, keeps me alive every day.” Sidurgu clasped Rielle’s cheeks, kissing her forehead, “I was meant to be your adoptive father for a long time.” He, too, was crying.

“Excuse me?”

Both Sidurgu and Rielle turned their heads to the source of the sound.

“I couldn’t help but overhear you. Sidurgu, was it? Put in that good fight. Rielle, remain strong for your papa”, Thancred spoke softly.

“Thanks, mister”, Rielle replied, sniffling.

“Who are you? Why do you care about us?” Sidurgu growled.

Thancred flinched, “I’m your cot neighbour, as you can see. My name is Thancred Waters.”

“Thancred, huh? Your reputation precedes you – unrepentant flirt, former street urchin, got yourself possessed by –“

“Enough! I know, I know,” Thancred stammered, “I have…acted questionably. But I thought my deeds with the Scions would make up for all that. Guess not, huh?”

Sidurgu grunted, “Just don’t teach my daughter your wicked ways, OK? I don’t need her getting assaulted by boys or girls. Or worse, getting locked up or killed.”

Thancred groaned, “I’m not here to corrupt your daughter. I’m here to get treatment until my kidneys can be replaced.”

“I wonder if they can replace my brain,” Sidurgu wondered aloud. He tremored as he extended a hand outward, which Rielle guided to Thancred’s.

“I’m sure there’s a cure for you. Next time Minfilia comes in, I’ll ask her if she knows anyone who can cure brain diseases. I don’t want your daughter to end up without a father.”

Sidurgu weakly shook Thancred’s hand, “I’ll hold you to that. For my daughter’s sake.”


End file.
